1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a book binding adapted to aid in the monitoring of information associated with a book. More particularly the present invention relates to a book binding that is useful in securely implanting an electronic article surveillance (EAS) marker within a book. An EAS marker can be encoded with information or configured to transpond particular information when interrogated by a signal. The invention also includes a machine for manufacturing and a method of manufacturing the book binding and a method of securing a book that employs the book binding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic article surveillance systems are widely used to monitor and secure products such as books, clothing, compact discs, and cassettes. Protecting such items against theft is one of the most common uses of EAS systems. Theft of books in particular is a concern not only for books marketed through retail establishments, but is also a concern for public and private libraries that loan books to particular individuals for limited periods of time. An increasingly important goal that can be accomplished with an EAS system is policing unauthorized copying of books. Additionally, monitoring compliance with the terms of licenses controlling the use of books and associated products can be accomplished with an EAS system.
A typical EAS system includes EAS markers attached to monitored goods and an interrogation zone or corridor through which marked goods are passed to read the information on a marker and thereby determine the status of an associated good. EAS systems can be based on magnetic, radio frequency, microwave, magneto-restrictive technologies, and other similar technologies. Regardless of what technology is employed, an EAS system is designed so that a marker will produce some characteristic response when exposed to an interrogating signal in the interrogation zone or corridor. The EAS system detects the characteristic response and initiates an appropriate security action or in some manner signals the personnel or machines monitoring the status of goods.
Electronic article surveillance markers that are attached to books are well known in the art as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,313 and 5,500,640. The '313 patent illustrates an adhesive marker that is specially designed to be inserted deeply between two pages of a book as close as possible to the book's spine. The '313 patent discloses that it is important to insert the marker deeply between the pages to make its application relatively permanent. Permanence is an obvious goal in placing an EAS marker. If the marker is not reasonably permanently placed, a system can be overcome merely by removing the marker. The marker of the '313 patent can, however, be removed by simply detaching the marker from a small segment of two adjacent pages of a book. At the very most it would be necessary to tear or cut away small portions of two adjacent pages in order to remove the marker.
The marker of the '313 patent necessarily binds two adjacent pages together near the spine of a book. Even if the marker is place as near as possible to the spine of a book, there will be some degradation of the use of the pages. A reader, unaware of the purpose of the marker, could also be compelled to pull the two adjoined pages apart to cause the pages to lay in the same configuration as the other pages of the book. Such separation would be liable to cause tearing of the pages of the book or detachment of the EAS marker.
The marker of the '313 patent also requires manual placement in each book secured. Therefore, even with newly manufactured books, a laborer must manually place a marker in each book. Such a method is both inefficient and costly.
The '640 patent discloses a machine for sensing elements of an EAS marker. FIGS. 2 and 3 of the '640 patent show particularly an EAS marker attached to the spine of a book. Placement in the spine is necessary for the EAS reader disclosed in the '640 patent. The marker disclosed is, however, both visible to a user of the book who might wish to remove the marker and is not so securely fastened that its removal would require any persistence. As with the '313 patent, the marker disclosed in the '640 patent is a manually installed device. Therefore, installation of the marker is less efficient and more costly than necessary.
Both the '313 and the '640 patents disclose systems that deploy markers near the spine of a book. However, in some applications it is advantageous to place a marker in a cover of a book or between the cover and an adjacent page attached to the cover. Because both patents disclose markers that are applied after a book has been manufactured, the only way to insert a marker adjacent to all areas of the cover of a book would be to cut into a cover or detach the adjacent attached page, insert a marker, and reattach the page. Such an exercise is inefficient and risks damaging components of a book.
It is evident that neither of these prior patents provides a means for securely implanting a rarely visible EAS marker into the spine or cover of a book that does not interfere with a reader's enjoyment of the book that can be attached to the book efficiently by automated production equipment.
Recently in the book publication and binding industry, certain types of books have been given additional markings and characteristics to assure the authenticity of each copy of the book. A primary example of these markings and characteristics occurs in the publication of computer software manuals. Modern computer manuals are marked with various combinations of holographic emblems, printed certificates of authenticity, interwoven identification ribbons, serial numbers, bar codes, etc. By these markings, each manual can be specifically identified and the security status of each can be controlled.
However, a problem with specifically identifying any item that is being produced is that the item has increased cost. Additionally, an item once specifically identified must be specifically tracked. In the computer software manual publication business, for example, identifying markers are incorporated into the covers of manuals before the covers are attached to the respective pages of the manuals. Therefore, during the manufacturing process, covers but not pages of manuals are specifically identified and tracked.
There are at least two disadvantages that are evident in the present process. First, during printing, shipping, binding, additional shipping, and final bundling of a manual, a number of manuals will inevitably be damaged or rejectably manufactured and will not be usable. When the process of identification occurs early in the manufacturing cycle, the seller of the manuals is required to track which identified products have been destroyed. The seller has paid to identify the products, but never is able to employ the identification means. As an example, assume that a stack of covers on a shipping pallet is damaged during transit to the book binder or that the binder erroneously cuts a number of covers. Such errors are inevitable in any manufacturing process. The seller of the books has paid for unusable covers and for identification markers that can never be fully employed. The effect of the early identification is to amplify any later mistakes that do occur. The cost of normal waste is increased.
Second, identifying markers that are applied to covers that have not yet completed all manufacturing processes are more liable to be damaged than covers without appendages. Modern cutting, binding, and sorting machinery automatically handle book covers. The machines operate at high speeds. Appendages attached to or extending from covers being handled during manufacturing are liable to cause a greater number of material handling errors.
The first two disadvantages can be avoided by saving all applications of identifying markings until the manufacturing processes have been substantially completed. However, this requires that an additional manufacturing process be added to apply identifying markers. As the art presently exists, the additional process of applying an identifying marker is inefficient and costly. Book binding companies typically do not have a machine that applies identifying marks to a completed book. If not applied by a book binding company, identifying marks must be applied by an additional vendor. Such application increases production time and increases costs. What is needed is an addition to an existing step in the present process during which an identifying marker can be easily attached to a book.
Therefore, it is easily seen that a method which generates a product that is unobtrusive to handle during manufacturing and a method that can be efficiently included in an existing manufacturing process would be superior to the present methods. A more timely applied identifying marker would not be attached until late in the manufacturing process when a product would be more likely to successfully complete the manufacturing process.